Transparent, conductive and superhydrophobic cellulose films for flexible electrode application

Abstract

Cellulose has shown encouraging properties in many applications, such as energy storage, optical instrument and catalysis. In particular, cellulose films have shown potential applications in flexible transparent devices and are expected to replace indium-tin oxide (ITO). However, cellulose is highly hydrophilic and electrically insulating, which limits its scope of application. In this study, the conductivity (R_s = 40.3 Ω sq⁻¹), transparency (81.4%) and superhydrophobicity (static contact angle = 153.2°, sliding angle = 4.1°) of cellulose film (CTSC-P) are reported. First, before suction filtration to prepare the film, cellulose was oxidized to improve dispersibility and mechanical strength. Then, the obtained film was hydrophobically modified by grafting long-chain silanes on the surface, followed by electrospinning and electroless plating. In general, the design is an ingenious way to manufacture transparent, conductive, and super-hydrophobic films in the future, and is transformed into a flexible electronic technically feasible device.